The Sims Resource (TSR) guide

The Sims Resource (TSR) is a large website of free custom content (CC) for The Sims games. Players call it “TSR”, so “TSR CC” means CC from this site.

TSR says that it started in August 1999 as the first fan site for The Sims. Its About page says that it has content for all four main games, from The Sims 1 to The Sims 4. The same page gives these numbers:

• More than 5 million uploaded creations.
• More than 2 million people each month.
• More than 10,000 active artists.

Artists make the content, and TSR hosts it. You find hair, clothes, makeup, furniture, lots, and Sims. The site also has a Mods category. The footer of the site names Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. as the owner of the rights.

New to CC? Read our guide to Sims 4 custom content first. It explains the difference between CC and mods. This post is only about TSR: safety, VIP, downloads, installs, and fixes.

Yes, the files on The Sims Resource are generally safe. The main risk on the site is the ads, not the CC.

What TSR says

TSR says that it checks all content before it publishes it. Its About page says that each item must work in the game and be “totally virus free”. Each item must also match its screenshot.

What players say

Players agree on the same point. In a 2023 article, Distractify said that TSR “is safe to use and won’t cause any issues with your save files or PC.” The article also called the site “aggressively monetized with advertisements”. One Reddit player it quoted wrote: “The site itself is fine, it’s the ads that constantly pop up that are the problem.”

What EA says

EA tells players to download mods only “from a trusted source or creator”. EA also says that Maxis and EA do not pre-screen, endorse, or support any mods or CC. So EA does not check TSR files. You use them at your own risk.

How to stay safe on TSR

• Click only the download buttons on the TSR item page.
• Do not click a download button inside an ad.
• Keep the antivirus program on your computer turned on.

For a list of other sites, see our best Sims 4 mods guide.

Yes. TSR says: “All our content is free to everyone.” A free account can download every item. Some new items are for VIP members first, for a short time.

You must have an account and sign in to download. You must also confirm your email address. Ads pay for the site, and VIP is the paid option.

What VIP Early Access means

Some new items have a “VIP Early Access” label. Only VIP members can download them during that time. After that, the items are free for everyone.

For example, the item “Money Necklace for Men” was published on Nov 7, 2026. Its page says “VIP Early Access until Nov 14, 2026”. That is a wait of 7 days for a free account. Each item shows its own end date, so check the item page.

EA allows this. The EA mods policy says that creators can “offer an early access incentive for a reasonable amount of time.” After that time, all players must get the mod in full, for free.

VIP removes the ads and the wait time, and it adds tools that download many items in one click. The TSR VIP page lists these perks:

VIP also gives a download history, saved searches with alerts, and a Discord server for VIP members.

The TSR CC Manager

The CC Manager is a TSR program for Windows and macOS. It installs items from the site into The Sims 4 for you. It sorts your CC into the same categories as the site. It can turn an item off without deleting it, and it can update old files.

It only works with items that TSR hosts. It does not get files from other sites. For tools that work with CC from all sites, see our Sims 4 mod manager guide.

How much is VIP?

On the day we checked, the TSR site showed VIP “for as low as $3/Month”. It also offered an annual plan for $24. Prices can change, so check the VIP page before you pay. TSR says that you can cancel at any time in your account settings.

VIP is worth it if you download many items each week. For a few items, the free account is enough.

Get VIP if:

• You download large sets with many required items.
• You want new items on the day that they come out.
• You want one program to install and update your TSR CC.
• You want to pay the artists. TSR pays top artists from VIP and ads.

Stay free if:

• You get a few items each month.
• You can wait about a week for new items.
• You get most of your CC from other sites, which VIP does not help with.

TSR offers a free VIP trial. Its page does not say how long the trial is. Try it before you buy a year.

Sign in, open the item page, and click “Download Now”. With a free account, you then wait for a short timer before the file comes.

1. Make a free account on thesimsresource.com and confirm your email.
2. Sign in.
3. Turn off your ad blocker for TSR. TSR blocks downloads when it finds one.
4. Open the page of the item that you want.
5. Look at the list of required items. Some CC needs a separate mesh to work. Download each required item too.
6. Click “Download Now”.
7. Wait for the timer. Do not click any ad while you wait.
8. Save the file to your computer.

TSR warns about school emails that end in .edu. It says that TSR messages may not get to them, and password resets may fail. Use a personal email address.

Move the file into the Mods folder of The Sims 4. Then turn on CC in the game options. These are the steps from EA Help:

1. If the file is a .zip or .rar file, unzip it first.
2. Open the Electronic Arts folder on your computer. Then open The Sims 4 folder.
3. Open the Mods folder. If there is no Mods folder, make one.
4. Move the unzipped file into the Mods folder.
5. Start The Sims 4 and open Game Options.
6. Select Other.
7. Make sure that “Enable Custom Content and Mods” is checked.
8. Close the game and start it again.

Most TSR items are CC, such as hair and clothes. You find them in Create a Sim or in Build Mode. For script mods and the other kinds of files, read our Sims 4 mods guide.

Mods and CC work only on PC and Mac. EA says that you cannot use them on PlayStation or Xbox.

The most common cause is an ad blocker. TSR shows the message “Please turn off your ad-blocker to download.” Turn the blocker off for TSR, then reload the page.

Fix a download that TSR blocks

Do you see the message with no ad blocker on? The TSR help page gives these steps. Do them in this order:

1. Pause your ad blocker, or add TSR to its list of allowed sites.
2. Check your antivirus program. Some block banners. Add *.thesimsresource.com to its allowed sites.
3. Turn on JavaScript in your browser.
4. Allow cookies in your browser and in your antivirus program.
5. Check the ad block setting that is built into some browsers.
6. Turn off other extensions that block ads. Then reload with Ctrl+F5.
7. Close other browser windows that block ads.
8. Do not use a private (incognito) window.
9. Try a different browser.
10. As a last step, clear all your cookies.

The download works, but the CC is not in the game

• Make sure that you unzipped the file into the Mods folder.
• Make sure that “Enable Custom Content and Mods” is checked.
• Make sure that you got all the required items, such as the mesh.
• Check that the item is for The Sims 4, not for an older game.

Does the game break after you add CC? Find the bad file with our guide to find broken mods. The Better Exceptions mod can also tell you which file causes an error.

If nothing works, contact TSR support from the Support Center on the site. TSR says that it normally replies within 24 hours.

Yes. Any player can make CC and send it to TSR. The site has a “Submit your CC creations” page for artists.

Many creators use Sims 4 Studio to make CC. Read our Sims 4 Studio guide, and our steps to make custom content.

We make LifeSim, a free life sim in the browser and on iPhone. It does not use CC, so TSR files do not work in it. If you want CC for your Sims, LifeSim is not the right game for that.

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• The Sims Resource: About us
• The Sims Resource: VIP overview
• The Sims Resource: TSR CC Manager
• The Sims Resource help: download blocked by an ad blocker
• The Sims Resource: an example VIP Early Access item (Money Necklace for Men)
• EA Help: How to install Mods in The Sims 4
• EA Help: The Sims 4 Policy on Mods
• Distractify: Is The Sims Resource safe? (February 14, 2023)